It’s National Clean Air Day today, so I wrote the following letter to my MP.
Hi Ruth,
Congratulations on your re-election to represent the people of Chiswick again. I am extremely concerned about the air pollution situation in this country and the lack of will by the current Government to address this with a cohesive plan.
Therefore I am writing to you, to see if you can help to improve the air locally.
I work at the Barley Mow Centre in your constituency and to get to work each day I cycle through Ealing, Acton and Chiswick. I am dismayed that each day I see a number of drivers of lorries, van and cars sitting by the side of the road with their engines on. Although this may seem like a trivial issue it isn’t from an air quality point of view and it is harming all of us. It is particularly disturbing to see Mothers in the cars with the engine on unnecessarily outside schools adding to the air pollution there.
I think that it is a case of educating people of the dangers – often when I speak to people who are idling their cars they are unaware that it is harmful and unaware that we are in the middle of an air pollution crisis.
I think as a start, a simple education campaign (on social and print media) would be a simple and cost effective start to addressing this very serious problem. I would love to have the opportunity to speak to you about my concerns, or even take you for a little cycle ride around Chiswick so that you can understand the problem.
Thanks for your time,
Darren
There’s also a great flyer about idling here:
